Novelty type light device

ABSTRACT

A novelty type light device in combination with a music box for providing a peculiar &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;infinity&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; effect. A switching means is provided for alternately illuminating and extinguishing a plurality of miniature incandescent light bulbs, and said means comprises a plurality of contact strips, a particular one of which is disposed for engagement with the path of rotation of a cam wheel mounted on a drive shaft driving a pinned barrel in the music box.

United States Patent [191 Matsushita NOVELTY TYPE LIGHT DEVIQCE [75]Inventor: Teruko Matsushlta, Shizuoka, Japan [73] Assignee: Yoshie Ito,Tokyo, Japan; a part interest 22 Filed: Apr. 5, 1973 [21] App]. No.:347,425

[52] U.S. C1. .Il... 240/2 R, 240/10 R, 84/464 [51] Int. Cl. F21v 33/00[58] Field of Search 240/2 R, 10 R; 84/94 C,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,720,128 3/1973 Frank..84/94 May 14,1974

2,963,572 12/1960 Rullo 240/10 UX Primary Examiner-Richard M. SheerAssistant Examiner-Michael L. Gellner Attorney, Agent, or Firm-WilliamAnthony Druckcr 1571 ABSTRACT A novelty type light device in combinationwith a music box for providing a peculiar "infinity" effect. A switchingmeans is provided for alternately illuminating and extinguishing aplurality of miniature incandescent light bulbs, and said meanscomprises a plurality of contact strips, a particular one of which isdisposed for engagement with the path of rotation of a cam wheel mountedon a drive shaft driving a pinned barrel in the music box.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 14 I874 SHEET 10F 2 FIG.2

Pmtmenmu m4 351110-41 SHEEI 2 OF 2 FIG.3

. 1* NOVELTY TYPE LIGHT DEVICE;

This invention relates to. an ornamental display device. of the noveltytype wherein a video effect is reconciled with an audio effect.

It is the primary object of the present invention. to provide a newornamental display device which comprises the combination with a musicbox of an illumination means for providing enhanced infinity effect.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switching meansoperatively connected with the said box for alternately illuminatingandextinguishing a. plu-.

rality of light bulbs accommodated in a hollow body,

These objects and otherfeatures of the invention will beapparent duringthe'cou-rse of the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of a display deviceembodying the invention;

' FIG. 2 is an electrical wireing diagram for the incandescent lightbulbs employed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, on enlarged scale, of part of theinterior ofthedevice: of FIG. 1, showing the switching, meansembodyingthe invention.

Referring now-to the drawings and FIG. 2 in particular, there is shown acombination audio and video dis. play device according to the invention,which device comprises a generally rectangular hollow housing 11accommodating therein a music box 12. ofconventional construction, amotor 13 driving the same, a dry cell compartment 14 supplying power tothemotor, anda plurality of miniature incandescent light bulbselectrically connected through leadwires l6to the motor 13 and aswitching means hereinafter described. The incandescent light bulbs 15are oriented in random directions within the spaceof a hollow body laterdescribed and have their respective lead wires 16 bundled together andcarried by an upright support member 17' secured to the covering plate18 which is removably connected bybolts- 19 to the upper marginal edges20 ofthe rectangular hollow housing 11. At each of the four sides of thehousing 11 is formed an integral support rib 21 for mounting thereon acubic hollow body generally designated 22. The hollow body 22 is definedby four planar sections or panels 23 which are held together inedge-to-edge relation as by an adhesive so as to form a triangular prismas shown in FIG. 1.

Each of the panels 23 is fabricated of a suitable transparent ortranslucent plastic or glass and the inner surface thereof is silveredor tinned to provide a so-called half-mirror effect. The covering plate18 is similarly treated. This arrangement is known in the art anddisclosed for example by US. Pat. No. 3,610,9l8, wherein multiplereflections from the panels of the hollow body 22 are given of the lightsource to provide an infinity effect to the viewer.

A desired number of light bulbs 15, three bulbs 15a, 15b and 150 as inthe illustrated embodiment, are alternately illuminated and extinguishedthereby to create the illusion of an infinite number of light sourceswhen looking into the hollow body 22 through any one of the four sidepanels 23. The alternate illuminating and extinguishing of theminiatureincandescent light bulbs 15 is effected by a switching means 24 whichcomprises a plurality of resilient contact strips 25a, 25b and 256 and acam wheel 26 operatively associated therewith. The contract stripsfunctioning as switching elements are electrically insulated relative toeach other by, interposed insulation pieces 27 and connected at one endsto thelight bulbs 15a, 15b and 15c through the respective lead wires16a, 16b and 160. The cam wheel 26 is mounted on and electricallyconnected to the drive shaft 28 of the pinned barrel 29 of the music box12. The cam wheel 26 is provided around its periphery with alternateridges 30 and grooves 31 of a wavy form as seen in FIG. 3. A particularone of the contact strips 25a, 25b and 250 is selected for engagementwith the cam wheel 26, for which purpose the particular strip 250 in theillustrated embodiment is elongated so as to extend into the path ofrotation of the cam wheel 26. The elongated free end 25b thus disposedin the rotation path of the cam wheel 26 engages with rounded ridges 30and disengages therefrom in succession as the cam rotates with the shaft28 of the music box 12 in a clockwise directiortasv viewed in. FIG. 2.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the contact strips 25b and 25c are normallyheld in contact with each other. Hence, the cycle of switching operationcommences with a first phase wherein the strips 25b and 25c close theillumination circuit for an instantaneous length of time during whichthe operative strip 25b engages one of the ridges 30, whereby thecorresponding light bulbs 15b and 150 are illuminated. In the secondphase of the cycle, the operative contact strip 25b is moved upwardlyapart from the strip 250 as it ascends along one side of the contour ofthe ridge 30 towards the apex thereof, with rotation of the cam wheel 26at which moment the bulb'25b corresponding to the operative strip 25balone is illuminated. This is followed by the third phase of the cyclewherein the operative strip 25b continues to ascend along the ridge 30and sides. over the apex thereof so that it comes into contact with thestrip 25a, when the circuit is closed to illuminate the bulbs 25a and25b at the same time.

In the final or fourth phase of the cycle of switching operation, theoperative strip 25b begins to descend along the opposite side of thecontour of the ridge 30 and enteres into the groove or recess 31 betweenadjacent ridges when the circuit is held open instantaneously toextinguish all of the three light bulbs 25a, 25b and 250. The operativestrip 25b thereafter begins to ascend along the contour of ensuing ridge30, thus repeating the switching cycle as better understood from thewiring diagram of FIG. 3.

What is claimed is:

l. A combination video and audio novelty display device which comprisesa generally rectangular housing, a cubic hollow body defined by aplurality of planar panels and mounted on said housing, a music box ofconventional construction within said housing including a pinned barreland a drive shaft therefor, said housing further accommodating therein amotor driving said shaft, a power supply source and a plurality ofminature incandescent light bulbs connected via lead wires to said powersource, and a switching means comprising a plurality of resilientcontact strips and a cam wheel operatively associated with a particularone of said contact strips and provided around its periphery withalternate ridges and grooves, said cam wheel being mounted on said shaftfor rotation therewith, said particular contact strip engageable withthe path of rotation of said cam wheel that is, alternately with saidridges and grooves so that it closes and opens the illumination circuitto selectively illuminate said plurality of light bulbs, said pluralityof planar pannels being sil- 3. The device as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid Vered and held together in edge-to-edge relation so as to form atriangular prism; g

2. The device'as claimed in claim 1 where the number of said contactstrips corresponds to the number of 5 cam w said light bulbs.

ridges each have a rounded contour along which said particular contactstrip moves with the rotation of said

1. A combination video and audio novelty display device which comprisesa generally rectangular housing, a cubic hollow body defined by aplurality of planar panels and mounted on said housing, a music box ofconventional construction within said housing including a pinned barreland a drive shaft therefor, said housing further accommodating therein amotor driving said shaft, a power supply source and a plurality ofminature incandescent light bulbs connected via lead wires to said powersource, and a switching means comprising a plurality of resilientcontact strips and a cam wheel operatively associated with a particularone of said contact strips and provided around its periphery withalternate ridges and grooves, said cam wheel being mounted on said shaftfor rotation therewith, said particular contact strip engageable withthe path of rotation of said cam wheel that is, alternately with saIdridges and grooves so that it closes and opens the illumination circuitto selectively illuminate said plurality of light bulbs, said pluralityof planar pannels being silvered and held together in edge-to-edgerelation so as to form a triangular prism.
 2. The device as claimed inclaim 1 where the number of said contact strips corresponds to thenumber of said light bulbs.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid ridges each have a rounded contour along which said particularcontact strip moves with the rotation of said cam wheel.